As I reflect on the year, I am so grateful for all the blessings of 2023. 

Life isn’t always a bed of roses, but I’ve learned I can choose where to focus my attention.  I can focus on a cracked tooth and an elderly furnace that both needed replacing, or on the joy of family, friends, travel, the beauty of nature, and fulfilling work to do. 

I choose joy.

I am so grateful my family is happy and healthy and we were able to all be together to celebrate the holidays this year.

I am so grateful that I was able to go visit my daughter in Berlin this year.  She was on a mission to make me fall in love with her adopted city and she succeeded!

Travel is always inspiring and playing tourist in the beauty and charm of old European cities and towns is my favorite kind of sightseeing; gardens and architecture, shops and castles and local food…so much fun!

I’ve documented the trips in several posts, but here are two;

Our second tour of Potsdam and our visit to the Sanssouci summer palace of Frederick the Great , and a train trip to visit the bustling port city of Hamburg.

And I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the most wonderful clients! It has been a colorful year in many ways!

Several projects are slated to be photographed in the coming year, but here are a few that we wrapped up and photographed this past year (clink on highlighted texts for link to full project reveals often including some ‘before’ pictures):

This delightful family room transformation

This classic bathroom renovation

This tiny condo kitchen renovation

My daughters Berlin apartment

A farmhouse primary bathroom and a farmhouse pantry

Two farmhouse guest bathrooms

A fabulous primary bath and a colorful powder room in our antique farmhouse project

A garden inspired family room/library for a busy family

A chic ladies home office transformation

A pocket sized cozy library reveal

The rhapsody in blue new build project great room and master bedroom

And I am beyond delighted with my own kitchen makeover for the fall One Room Challenge. I still have to photograph the final areas that didn’t make the ORC deadline, but I am enjoying it every single day!

And I am so grateful the pandemic has receded and allowed us to get back to some level of  normalcy and entertaining again.  Hosting and feeding people is one of my favorite pastimes and I have missed it! I’m heading back to the kitchen momentarily to work on more of the party prep for a gathering this weekend 😁

I’m looking forward to more joy and delight, and friendships old and new in the coming year!

Wishing you a Happy New Year!